Jimmy Chamberlin

Thursday, 1 August 2013

SPIN - Greatest Aleternative Drummers

[D'oh- Just doing a bit of house-keeping behind the scenes and I realised I forgot to post this when it was published (21/05/2013). Also, to note Spin fucked up, they put an 8 on the number by accident]

#18 - Jimmy Chamberlin (Smashing Pumpkins)

So much of Smashing Pumpkins'
classic sound is defined by Jimmy Chamberlin's titanium snare slaps and
gargantuan fills, it's nearly impossible to imagine that when the
now-48-year-old musician first saw Billy Corgan's then-trio in Chicago,
it was accompanied by a drum machine. Corgan gets credit for writing
(and, let's face it, playing) nearly all of the Pumpkins' songs, but
their depth and drive are all rooted in Chamberlin's forceful
redefinition of psychedelic hard rock. He trained as a jazz drummer,
which helps explain how he can turn on a dime from militaristic rolls to
swinging cymbals to tight rim shots on a track like "Tonight, Tonight."
But his taut, thunderous playing on Gish opener "I Am One" and "Tristessa" and Siamese Dream's "Cherub Rock" and "Quiet" are the rudders that kept Corgan's turbulent ship on course. Most Booming Moment:Siamese Dream standout "Geek U.S.A." marches to the beat of Chamberlin's smart, syncopated monsoon. CARYN GANZ